PTI plea against Karachi mayor's election withdrawn

Faisal Vawda had filed the petition in August, 2016

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) dismissed on Wednesday a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to bar Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Wasim Akhtar from taking oath as Karachi mayor due to his involvement in terrorism-related cases.

PTI leader Faisal Vawda, who had filed the petition, pleaded to the court to allow him to withdraw the plea, as it had become infructuous since Akhtar had already been elected as mayor.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, dismissed the plea as withdrawn.

Vawda had approached the court in August, 2016 pleading to the court to restrain the MQM leader from swearing in as metropolitan mayor due to his alleged involvement in cases of serious nature, including terrorism.



He had argued that Akhtar was involved in cases of a serious nature. "Therefore, a person involved in acts of terrorism cannot be elected mayor," he had argued in the plea. Therefore, the court was pleaded to declare Akhtar unqualified for the office of mayor.

On Wednesday, the judges took up the plea, when the petitioner's lawyer requested them to allow the petitioner to withdraw the plea, since it had become infructuous following election of the respondent, Akhtar, as the metropolitan mayor.

Allowing the request, the judges dismissed the petition as withdrawn by the petitioner.